Peabody-award winning journalist Doug Levy covered medicine for USA TODAY and other major media for more than 10 years. On this blog, he posts observations, commentary and quirks on the road or from his home base in San Francisco. For more about Doug, visit douglevy.com. For Doug's commentary about food and wine, visit wineandfoodworld.com.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Watching David Frost's interview with British Prime Minister David Cameron on Al Jazeera last night provided stark evidence of where the USA went wrong in our reaction to the terror attacks that took so many innocent lives 10 years ago today. Cameron defended the attacks on the Taliban in Afghanistan for harboring Al Quaeda. But he staunchly opposed any actions that violated Britain's principles. Britain did not approve of and objects to any form of torture in the "war on terrorism." At the same time, former US Vice President Dick Cheney is actively defending the use of "waterboarding" torture while parading around peddling his memoir. By yielding on our fundamental principles, the USA loses what had been our most persuasive source of power.

In the 10 years since that awful day, the USA has tumbled from its post as the moral leader of the free world. Maybe it's time to figure out how we can earn that crown once again.

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About Doug Levy

Doug Levy is a veteran journalist, former health reporter for USA Today, former chief communications officer at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, NY, and a non-practicing lawyer (licensed in Maryland.) Levy is a Peabody-award winning investigative reporter, formerly with USA Today, United Press International and National Public Radio, among other media.